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Post by mvr on Oct 17, 2023 6:08:41 GMT -6
I understand the sample size is small, and the season is long.
But let's give credit where it is due. This team has played three contenders now and four road games. They have allowed 9 goals total (and one was into an empty net).
Seth Jones is leading the way playing almost half the game, and he looks very comfortable with the huge kid, Vlasic, on his left side. This top pairing has been exceptional all season. Shutting down the Leafs and Mathews over sixty minutes on the road sends a strong message. I also see real potential for both Korchinski and Kaiser.
No doubt about it - the goaltending has been much stronger than last year.
But so too have the checking forwards. For years, I have lamented the team's lack of investment in depth forwards for the third and fourth lines. For the first time in a decade, this team has real team depth in the bottom six. Dickinson, Foligno, Perry, AA etc. have all contributed offensively and provided shutdown minutes when needed. I really like what I am seeing from Boris Katchouk in particular. He is developing into a quality defensive abrasive-type forward. Entwistle also played a strong physical game last night.
I have said this before --- I would much prefer a team spend less at the top of the roster on the "big name" superstars to ensure quality on the bottom six and on defence. These are the types of players who win the close games. In the modern game with the tight schedule and ridiculous travel demands, teams win when they can roll four lines and outwork the opponent. Depth matters.
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Post by galaxytrash on Oct 17, 2023 6:20:38 GMT -6
i know the blackhawks have played 1 to 3 games more than all of the other teams in the league but i was still surprised to see seth jones with the outright league lead with a +6 rating while vlasic was tied for second with 4 others at +5.
no doubt those numbers will come back down to earth but still a good start considering the calibre of teams we've played against thus far.
seth was also 5th in the league in TOI at 25:40 a game.
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Post by mvr on Oct 17, 2023 7:16:58 GMT -6
I understand some do not put much stock into the plus/minus stat. I think it is a useful quantitative marker when combined with others.
My eyes tell me both Jones and Vlasic have played exceptionally well, and that the second rotation (both at forward and defence), has been the weak link. The plus/minus stat supports this observation. Murphy is a -5. Korchinski is a -3. Reichel is also a -3.
Most everyone else is at or around the 0 mark, other than Boris Katchouk, who is +2 and seems more confident with every shift.
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Post by ebonyraptor on Oct 17, 2023 10:14:32 GMT -6
I understand some do not put much stock into the plus/minus stat. I think it is a useful quantitative marker when combined with others. My eyes tell me both Jones and Vlasic have played exceptionally well, and that the second rotation (both at forward and defence), has been the weak link. The plus/minus stat supports this observation. Murphy is a -5. Korchinski is a -3. Reichel is also a -3. Most everyone else is at or around the 0 mark, other than Boris Katchouk, who is +2 and seems more confident with every shift. I'm not going to say Korchinski's -3 rating was due to his partner's poor defensive play - but I will say that at least one of those three goals against came last night when Toronto scored their lone goal and it was directly attributable to Murphy's poor defensive play. When Nylander "walked" Murphy just inside the blue line and carried the puck into the slot, Korchinski had to check him and did a good job of poking to puck away. Unfortunately the puck went right to an unchecked Tavaras who fired home the goal. Korchinski played that as well as was possible but still got a minus 1 on it. |
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Post by OldTimeHawky on Oct 17, 2023 14:26:54 GMT -6
I understand some do not put much stock into the plus/minus stat. I think it is a useful quantitative marker when combined with others. My eyes tell me both Jones and Vlasic have played exceptionally well, and that the second rotation (both at forward and defence), has been the weak link. The plus/minus stat supports this observation. Murphy is a -5. Korchinski is a -3. Reichel is also a -3. Most everyone else is at or around the 0 mark, other than Boris Katchouk, who is +2 and seems more confident with every shift. I'm not going to say Korchinski's -3 rating was due to his partner's poor defensive play - but I will say that at least one of those three goals against came last night when Toronto scored their lone goal and it was directly attributable to Murphy's poor defensive play. When Nylander "walked" Murphy just inside the blue line and carried the puck into the slot, Korchinski had to check him and did a good job of poking to puck away. Unfortunately the puck went right to an unchecked Tavaras who fired home the goal. Korchinski played that as well as was possible but still got a minus 1 on it. Exactly, and another goal against Korchinski was squared up against his man and Murphy left his side to pressure the guy Korchinski had and left his side open. Seems like the rookies are more composed out there, well Vlasic and Korchinski at least. Kaiser still seems overwhelmed at times but he's slotted properly on the 3rd pair. |
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Post by OldTimeHawky on Oct 17, 2023 14:29:16 GMT -6
I understand some do not put much stock into the plus/minus stat. I think it is a useful quantitative marker when combined with others. My eyes tell me both Jones and Vlasic have played exceptionally well, and that the second rotation (both at forward and defence), has been the weak link. The plus/minus stat supports this observation. Murphy is a -5. Korchinski is a -3. Reichel is also a -3. Most everyone else is at or around the 0 mark, other than Boris Katchouk, who is +2 and seems more confident with every shift. Maybe you need glasses if Jones passes your eye test lol he did look better versus Toronto but the other 3gms he was tripping over his feet, getting in teammates way, and making bad decisions with the puck. But he also started slow last season and played a lot better the second half. |
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Post by LordKOTL on Oct 17, 2023 15:08:54 GMT -6
I understand some do not put much stock into the plus/minus stat. I think it is a useful quantitative marker when combined with others. My eyes tell me both Jones and Vlasic have played exceptionally well, and that the second rotation (both at forward and defence), has been the weak link. The plus/minus stat supports this observation. Murphy is a -5. Korchinski is a -3. Reichel is also a -3. Most everyone else is at or around the 0 mark, other than Boris Katchouk, who is +2 and seems more confident with every shift. Maybe you need glasses if Jones passes your eye test lol he did look better versus Toronto but the other 3gms he was tripping over his feet, getting in teammates way, and making bad decisions with the puck. But he also started slow last season and played a lot better the second half. Exactly. Jones has looked bad this year, but he did look good against the leafs, so credit where credit is due. I kinda hope we get to see a Vlassic/Korch pairing this season... Like during a blowout. Just to see how they look. |
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Post by mvr on Oct 17, 2023 16:58:07 GMT -6
This is why hockey analytics still needs work.
We have no clear way of measuring this type of player and his impact given all the variables involved (especially weighing who is on the ice for both teams).
To my eye, Jones has looked very good (if not dominating). He is breaking in a young kid on his left side while still lining up against the opponent's best players every shift 25 plus minutes plus a game.
No doubt, he has made some glaring mistakes (one of which cost the team a shorthanded goal). But even still, he is a plus six, tops on the team and has three points already Who wouldn't get caught once in a while considering the exposure? The great Duncan Keith, a sure first ballot hall of famer, was not perfect either.
I understand the distaste we all have about the contract. I also recognize the Jones' acquisition symbolizes to many the futility and desperation of the previous general manager at the end of his time here. But I don't think we should be blaming the player. He is what he is, and he will be here for awhile.
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Post by tincup on Oct 17, 2023 18:09:39 GMT -6
The biggest problem I have with Jones is that I don’t believe he’s a true PP QB. Now into his 11th season he’s averaged 2 goals and 14 points on the PP. Not fantastic numbers for a guy playing probably close to 70% of the total PP time. He really gets this job defaulted to him here due to contract and because he’s still the best option, such has been the situation the team has had on defence. When Korchinski matures and as soon as this year, I can see him taking up the number one PP spot and Jones needn’t play 25+ minutes every night.
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Post by Nikos on Oct 17, 2023 18:34:12 GMT -6
The biggest problem I have with Jones is that I don’t believe he’s a true PP QB. Now into his 11th season he’s averaged 2 goals and 14 points on the PP. Not fantastic numbers for a guy playing probably close to 70% of the total PP time. He really gets this job defaulted to him here due to contract and because he’s still the best option, such has been the situation the team has had on defence. When Korchinski matures and as soon as this year, I can see him taking up the number one PP spot and Jones needn’t play 25+ minutes every night. He also is reluctant to shoot which takes that option away on the PP and allows the PK team to cheat in the passing lanes. |
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Post by tincup on Oct 17, 2023 19:17:18 GMT -6
The biggest problem I have with Jones is that I don’t believe he’s a true PP QB. Now into his 11th season he’s averaged 2 goals and 14 points on the PP. Not fantastic numbers for a guy playing probably close to 70% of the total PP time. He really gets this job defaulted to him here due to contract and because he’s still the best option, such has been the situation the team has had on defence. When Korchinski matures and as soon as this year, I can see him taking up the number one PP spot and Jones needn’t play 25+ minutes every night. He also is reluctant to shoot which takes that option away on the PP and allows the PK team to cheat in the passing lanes. That’s what I thought as well but his shots for a season of PP time in Chicago are actually about 20 more than his career average. He also had a career high 59% of those shots get through last year, hence his only 2 PP goals as a Hawk. He doesn’t have an overpowering shot but his wrister is good for deflections and such. It’s hard to measure him against a modern PP QB like Makar or Quinn Hughes who average over 30 points a year with the man advantage, or even a Dahlin in the high 20’s, but I’d like to see numbers equivalent to his contemporaries like Krug, Carlson and Klingberg, low 20’s. |
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Post by OldTimeHawky on Oct 17, 2023 23:17:24 GMT -6
This is now a Jones thread lol
Back to team D, I really like how everyone is buying into Luke's system and I noticed a lot of communication. Under the last guy I didn't hear much as guys were running around man on man.
And there's now depth, maybe not top6 guys but at least there's enough so if guys aren't playing the right way Luke can put someone else in.
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Post by steamer on Oct 18, 2023 1:45:51 GMT -6
The biggest problem I have with Jones is that I don’t believe he’s a true PP QB. Now into his 11th season he’s averaged 2 goals and 14 points on the PP. Not fantastic numbers for a guy playing probably close to 70% of the total PP time. He really gets this job defaulted to him here due to contract and because he’s still the best option, such has been the situation the team has had on defence. When Korchinski matures and as soon as this year, I can see him taking up the number one PP spot and Jones needn’t play 25+ minutes every night. He also is reluctant to shoot which takes that option away on the PP and allows the PK team to cheat in the passing lanes. Korchinski has been reluctant to shoot also but that’s probably more of a rookie confidence thing. |
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Post by mvr on Oct 18, 2023 6:30:14 GMT -6
This is now a Jones thread lol Back to team D, I really like how everyone is buying into Luke's system and I noticed a lot of communication. Under the last guy I didn't hear much as guys were running around man on man. And there's now depth, maybe not top6 guys but at least there's enough so if guys aren't playing the right way Luke can put someone else in. The bottom six at forward is better than it has been for awhile. The team is getting real pushback and some secondary scoring from the depth players. Each of the checkers is useful and provides a role. Unlike in the Stan Bowman era, there are no designated "tough guys" (ie Mashinter, Bollig, Tootoo) clogging up a roster spot. The roster also contains fewer small perimeter types (Nylander, Sikura etc) who provide little offence and nothing else. There is a saying about square pegs and round holes. Finally, we have someone in charge who seems to recognize what types of players fill out bottom six roster spots in the modern game. When a team's bottom six/ third pairing defence can "hold serve" or provide a net positive scoring return, they will win more games than they lose. That said, the only potential weak spot in the bottom six - to my mind - is the fourth line centre. As it stands, I prefer the more physical players, Reese Johnson or Entwistle, to Cole Guttman. But moving forward, I would like to see a bigger centre here who can win faceoffs. |
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Post by vadarx on Oct 18, 2023 8:17:12 GMT -6
The biggest problem I have with Jones is that I don’t believe he’s a true PP QB. Now into his 11th season he’s averaged 2 goals and 14 points on the PP. Not fantastic numbers for a guy playing probably close to 70% of the total PP time. He really gets this job defaulted to him here due to contract and because he’s still the best option, such has been the situation the team has had on defence. When Korchinski matures and as soon as this year, I can see him taking up the number one PP spot and Jones needn’t play 25+ minutes every night. this pretty much sums up my thoughts on Jones as well. I think he has been decent overall this year, but I don't like him on pp1. I know KK needs a lot of seasoning, so I'm going to have to be fine with Seth getting more of the minutes there, but I'll be pretty happy if KK usurps him by the end of the season. edit: I also have to say that I was not a big fan of Jones openly pining for the captaincy this summer. that just isn't how a captain acts, imo. I understand the mindset and am glad he wants to be a leader, but it still rubbed me the wrong way. |
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Post by bigbarn27 on Oct 18, 2023 8:47:12 GMT -6
I understand some do not put much stock into the plus/minus stat. I think it is a useful quantitative marker when combined with others. My eyes tell me both Jones and Vlasic have played exceptionally well, and that the second rotation (both at forward and defence), has been the weak link. The plus/minus stat supports this observation. Murphy is a -5. Korchinski is a -3. Reichel is also a -3. Most everyone else is at or around the 0 mark, other than Boris Katchouk, who is +2 and seems more confident with every shift. Maybe you need glasses if Jones passes your eye test lol he did look better versus Toronto but the other 3gms he was tripping over his feet, getting in teammates way, and making bad decisions with the puck. But he also started slow last season and played a lot better the second half. Put me down for glasses also he has been the best Dman on the team with the pickle right behind him. Bloom and Maz have made this D look good we will see when we get to game 20. But everyone is battling and for the most part no one is trying to do to much like Murphy did in Habs game when he came over to help Kor. Yes at times I think i am watching a different game then others not the first time this had happened wont be the last just my 2 cents. |
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Post by ebonyraptor on Oct 18, 2023 12:36:57 GMT -6
I'll throw in my 2 cents on the Jones debate ... ready? ... here it is - WHO CARES! Jones is the classic "somewhere in between" - not as good as some think and not as bad as some think. He is what he is and he's most likely going to stay what he is and stay here for the next bunch of years. And IT DOESN'T MATTER. At least not this season and probably not for the next couple-a-three seasons. He's not a stumblebum "Murphy bad" d-man so he'll just play and be there.
What does matter is how well and how fast Vlassic, K2, and Kaiser develop into legit NHL caliber d-men. Seth Jones doesn't hurt that process and in fact probably helps it. I'll hold off on my defense of, or praise for, Jones for when it matters for the rebuild process a few years down the road.
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Post by OldTimeHawky on Oct 18, 2023 13:51:41 GMT -6
He also is reluctant to shoot which takes that option away on the PP and allows the PK team to cheat in the passing lanes. Korchinski has been reluctant to shoot also but that’s probably more of a rookie confidence thing. The coaches told Korchinski to shoot more and he had 3 shots against Toronto, I think only 1 the previous 3, but I noticed he missed the net a few times and others he missed the net on purpose to keep the puck deep and not have it blocked. If he averages around 3 shots a game he'll start scoring, because his shot is pretty hard and accurate. |
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Post by OldTimeHawky on Oct 18, 2023 13:58:38 GMT -6
Maybe you need glasses if Jones passes your eye test lol he did look better versus Toronto but the other 3gms he was tripping over his feet, getting in teammates way, and making bad decisions with the puck. But he also started slow last season and played a lot better the second half. Put me down for glasses also he has been the best Dman on the team with the pickle right behind him. Bloom and Maz have made this D look good we will see when we get to game 20. But everyone is battling and for the most part no one is trying to do to much like Murphy did in Habs game when he came over to help Kor. Yes at times I think i am watching a different game then others not the first time this had happened wont be the last just my 2 cents. I'll order some from Amazon lol I'd say overall he's been the 3rd best, Vlasic has been the most consistent dman with Korchinski behind him, I feel far more comfortable with them on the ice than Jones. He did look better versus Toronto though, hopefully he continues that trend. It's like he was trying to be the best but he was overthinking the game. Without the puck though, he's been solid. |
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Post by LordKOTL on Oct 19, 2023 8:10:57 GMT -6
I'll throw in my 2 cents on the Jones debate ... ready? ... here it is - WHO CARES! Jones is the classic "somewhere in between" - not as good as some think and not as bad as some think. He is what he is and he's most likely going to stay what he is and stay here for the next bunch of years. And IT DOESN'T MATTER. At least not this season and probably not for the next couple-a-three seasons. He's not a stumblebum "Murphy bad" d-man so he'll just play and be there. What does matter is how well and how fast Vlassic, K2, and Kaiser develop into legit NHL caliber d-men. Seth Jones doesn't hurt that process and in fact probably helps it. I'll hold off on my defense of, or praise for, Jones for when it matters for the rebuild process a few years down the road. You have some good points. However, the issue with Jones is that he shouldn't be a roadblock, as it were, to the kids developing. So far this season Jones has been abysmal on the PP. So, why is he getting top bill over Korch at this point who has looked better on the PP? After 2-3 games with how the PP is shaking up with respect to the lone D-man (there are more issues on the PP than just D), I think LR should have flip/flopped Korch/Jones and gioven Korch more chances on the 1st unit. Reward Korch for his work, you know? If we are going to develop these kids then once they show aptitude we should be pushing them to the next level even if that means demoting, at least temporarily, some vet who is not performing the best--irrespective of their paycheck. Having Jones and Murphy mentor guys like Korch, Pickle, etc. is not a bad thing. Having Jones & Murphy blocking Korch, Pickle, etc. from moving to the next level up to see if they can rise to the challenge is--especially this season. That being said: I think Jones looked bad the 1st three games, but looked good last game. Hopefully the trend of good continues. |
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Post by steamer on Oct 19, 2023 10:34:50 GMT -6
I think LR is taking a good look at Korchinski and in time he will get him to qb the PP. He probably feels he needs to finesse things a bit so everyone is supportive etc. There’s no point in rushing K or making Seth feel snubbed. It’s not like we’re gunning for a playoff spot and he needs to pull out all the stops. Better to keep morale high and work things in the “right” direction gradually. Seth’s had a slow start but IMO he’s still the best D-man the Hawks have all things considered.
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Post by ebonyraptor on Oct 19, 2023 11:38:36 GMT -6
I'll throw in my 2 cents on the Jones debate ... ready? ... here it is - WHO CARES! Jones is the classic "somewhere in between" - not as good as some think and not as bad as some think. He is what he is and he's most likely going to stay what he is and stay here for the next bunch of years. And IT DOESN'T MATTER. At least not this season and probably not for the next couple-a-three seasons. He's not a stumblebum "Murphy bad" d-man so he'll just play and be there. What does matter is how well and how fast Vlassic, K2, and Kaiser develop into legit NHL caliber d-men. Seth Jones doesn't hurt that process and in fact probably helps it. I'll hold off on my defense of, or praise for, Jones for when it matters for the rebuild process a few years down the road. You have some good points. However, the issue with Jones is that he shouldn't be a roadblock, as it were, to the kids developing. So far this season Jones has been abysmal on the PP. So, why is he getting top bill over Korch at this point who has looked better on the PP? After 2-3 games with how the PP is shaking up with respect to the lone D-man (there are more issues on the PP than just D), I think LR should have flip/flopped Korch/Jones and gioven Korch more chances on the 1st unit. Reward Korch for his work, you know? If we are going to develop these kids then once they show aptitude we should be pushing them to the next level even if that means demoting, at least temporarily, some vet who is not performing the best--irrespective of their paycheck. Having Jones and Murphy mentor guys like Korch, Pickle, etc. is not a bad thing. Having Jones & Murphy blocking Korch, Pickle, etc. from moving to the next level up to see if they can rise to the challenge is--especially this season. That being said: I think Jones looked bad the 1st three games, but looked good last game. Hopefully the trend of good continues. I wouldn't be against K2 taking over QB on PP1, but I'm leaning more toward giving him limited PP minutes on PP2 at this time. The main reason being he doesn't shoot very well which was one of the two things he needed to improve upon coming out of his WHL season. He has pretty much everything else a solid PP QB needs but the velocity of his shot is below NHL average giving the goalie time to track it and stop it. I'm sure K2 is aware of this short coming which probably contributes to his reluctance to shoot. In keeping with the primary objective for the 2023/24 season to develop the kids, I think not giving K2 the extra responsibility of PP1 this early in his NHL career is the better move. Hopefully he is working to improve his shot which should give him more confidence to use it. |
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Post by steamer on Oct 19, 2023 11:43:25 GMT -6
Realizing this last post should have been on the “Team Defence” thread. Sorry!
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Post by LordKOTL on Oct 19, 2023 12:41:59 GMT -6
You have some good points. However, the issue with Jones is that he shouldn't be a roadblock, as it were, to the kids developing. So far this season Jones has been abysmal on the PP. So, why is he getting top bill over Korch at this point who has looked better on the PP? After 2-3 games with how the PP is shaking up with respect to the lone D-man (there are more issues on the PP than just D), I think LR should have flip/flopped Korch/Jones and gioven Korch more chances on the 1st unit. Reward Korch for his work, you know? If we are going to develop these kids then once they show aptitude we should be pushing them to the next level even if that means demoting, at least temporarily, some vet who is not performing the best--irrespective of their paycheck. Having Jones and Murphy mentor guys like Korch, Pickle, etc. is not a bad thing. Having Jones & Murphy blocking Korch, Pickle, etc. from moving to the next level up to see if they can rise to the challenge is--especially this season. That being said: I think Jones looked bad the 1st three games, but looked good last game. Hopefully the trend of good continues. I wouldn't be against K2 taking over QB on PP1, but I'm leaning more toward giving him limited PP minutes on PP2 at this time. The main reason being he doesn't shoot very well which was one of the two things he needed to improve upon coming out of his WHL season. He has pretty much everything else a solid PP QB needs but the velocity of his shot is below NHL average giving the goalie time to track it and stop it. I'm sure K2 is aware of this short coming which probably contributes to his reluctance to shoot. In keeping with the primary objective for the 2023/24 season to develop the kids, I think not giving K2 the extra responsibility of PP1 this early in his NHL career is the better move. Hopefully he is working to improve his shot which should give him more confidence to use it. You have a good point, but I think with how Jones has been "running" with the 1PPQB duties, I think there's no harm in trying to see what Korch can't do--at least temporarily. You know--give him a shot when the game's not on the line. Worst case scenario? Korch leads to a shorthanded chance and goal--just like Jones does. |
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Post by OldTimeHawky on Oct 19, 2023 13:50:07 GMT -6
You have some good points. However, the issue with Jones is that he shouldn't be a roadblock, as it were, to the kids developing. So far this season Jones has been abysmal on the PP. So, why is he getting top bill over Korch at this point who has looked better on the PP? After 2-3 games with how the PP is shaking up with respect to the lone D-man (there are more issues on the PP than just D), I think LR should have flip/flopped Korch/Jones and gioven Korch more chances on the 1st unit. Reward Korch for his work, you know? If we are going to develop these kids then once they show aptitude we should be pushing them to the next level even if that means demoting, at least temporarily, some vet who is not performing the best--irrespective of their paycheck. Having Jones and Murphy mentor guys like Korch, Pickle, etc. is not a bad thing. Having Jones & Murphy blocking Korch, Pickle, etc. from moving to the next level up to see if they can rise to the challenge is--especially this season. That being said: I think Jones looked bad the 1st three games, but looked good last game. Hopefully the trend of good continues. I wouldn't be against K2 taking over QB on PP1, but I'm leaning more toward giving him limited PP minutes on PP2 at this time. The main reason being he doesn't shoot very well which was one of the two things he needed to improve upon coming out of his WHL season. He has pretty much everything else a solid PP QB needs but the velocity of his shot is below NHL average giving the goalie time to track it and stop it. I'm sure K2 is aware of this short coming which probably contributes to his reluctance to shoot. In keeping with the primary objective for the 2023/24 season to develop the kids, I think not giving K2 the extra responsibility of PP1 this early in his NHL career is the better move. Hopefully he is working to improve his shot which should give him more confidence to use it. Did you not watch the Toronto game? Or Seth at the Allstar game in the hardest shot competition? Jones was embarrassing, and the announcers on Sportsnet were saying how the coaches really like Korchinskis shot and want him to use it more, he had 3 great looks that game. Plus K2 is smooth with the puck and actually makes plays out there instead of turning it over like Jones. And Korchinski had a career high 11 goals last season, 4 in 91 combined games the seasons before. He gained a lot of weight and it shows in his shot. I'll order you some glasses lol |
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Post by ebonyraptor on Oct 19, 2023 15:46:06 GMT -6
I wouldn't be against K2 taking over QB on PP1, but I'm leaning more toward giving him limited PP minutes on PP2 at this time. The main reason being he doesn't shoot very well which was one of the two things he needed to improve upon coming out of his WHL season. He has pretty much everything else a solid PP QB needs but the velocity of his shot is below NHL average giving the goalie time to track it and stop it. I'm sure K2 is aware of this short coming which probably contributes to his reluctance to shoot. In keeping with the primary objective for the 2023/24 season to develop the kids, I think not giving K2 the extra responsibility of PP1 this early in his NHL career is the better move. Hopefully he is working to improve his shot which should give him more confidence to use it. Did you not watch the Toronto game? Or Seth at the Allstar game in the hardest shot competition? Jones was embarrassing, and the announcers on Sportsnet were saying how the coaches really like Korchinskis shot and want him to use it more, he had 3 great looks that game. Plus K2 is smooth with the puck and actually makes plays out there instead of turning it over like Jones. And Korchinski had a career high 11 goals last season, 4 in 91 combined games the seasons before. He gained a lot of weight and it shows in his shot. I'll order you some glasses lol By saying K2's shot is not good enough - it in no way reflects on Seth's shot being good or bad or better or worse than K2's shot, and I'll guarantee you that I've watched K2 play quite a bit more than some announcers on Sportsnet. I don't consider myself an expert by any stretch but with his games with Seattle last season, including the Memorial Cup playoff games and with the games so far with the Hawks - I've watched K2 play at least 50 times in the last year - and I will tell you what I observed - he has a weak shot that is barely adequately accurate and he rarely takes the initiative to shoot. He will flash into an opening to take an uncontested shot when the opportunity presents itself but that doesn't happen very often. He is not going to blow his shot by any goalie that sees it coming. I think he can and will improve his shot which will make him a very good PP QB because he already has the vision, skating, puck handling and passing. I prefer he improve his shot and gain the confidence to use it before he's put on PP1 before he's totally ready. |
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Post by mvr on Oct 21, 2023 6:53:21 GMT -6
Given the bitter aftertaste of the failed Stan Bowman era, I know many here reject all talk of taking on reclamation projects and especially returning players from previous eras.
Still, there are names out there which intrigue me. I have already mentioned Dominick Kubalik, who could instantly become the Hawks' best shooting winger. But what about Adam Boqvist?
Boqvist had 24 points last year in 46 games. He is still only 23 years old, and he shoots right.
As it stands, the Hawks' powerplay lacks a quarterback. None of us love the idea of Seth Jones back there. Korchinski looks to be the guy three-four years from now, but he is nowhere near ready.
Boqvist is having trouble staying in the very crowded Columbus lineup. Management there is shopping several of their defencemen. My guess is that offering a mid-round draft pick plus a B/C prospect would be ample.
Replacing Zaitsev with Boqvist would be a major upgrade with very little potential downside.
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Post by mvr on Oct 21, 2023 6:56:07 GMT -6
I strongly suspect Kevin Korchinski's days with the big club are numbered. If so, the team is going to need a replacement for the short term.
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Post by OldTimeHawky on Oct 21, 2023 7:17:11 GMT -6
Given the bitter aftertaste of the failed Stan Bowman era, I know many here reject all talk of taking on reclamation projects and especially returning players from previous eras. Still, there are names out there which intrigue me. I have already mentioned Dominick Kubalik, who could instantly become the Hawks' best shooting winger. But what about Adam Boqvist? Boqvist had 24 points last year in 46 games. He is still only 23 years old, and he shoots right. As it stands, the Hawks' powerplay lacks a quarterback. None of us love the idea of Seth Jones back there. Korchinski looks to be the guy three-four years from now, but he is nowhere near ready. Boqvist is having trouble staying in the very crowded Columbus lineup. Management there is shopping several of their defencemen. My guess is that offering a mid-round draft pick plus a B/C prospect would be ample. Replacing Zaitsev with Boqvist would be a major upgrade with very little potential downside. Big NO for Boqvist, he's soft and often injured. Yeah he put up decent numbers when he wasn't on the IR but KD should stay away from him. I like Kubalik though, he's a streaky scorer but he plays hard and has good size. |
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Post by ebonyraptor on Oct 21, 2023 7:40:18 GMT -6
I strongly suspect Kevin Korchinski's days with the big club are numbered. If so, the team is going to need a replacement for the short term. Why do you suspect that? If KD is to be believed that K2's play will dictate whether or not he stays with the Hawks - do you think K2's play has shown he's not ready to play NHL hockey? |
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